The Carolinas

Day 1: Arrive!

Morning: Fly into Greenville, NC in the morning or early afternoon. Keeping in mind you’re flying into Greenville and out of Charleston, flights could be ~$400. Join Scott’s Cheap Flights to always keep up with the best deals.

Afternoon: Pick you rental car from your preferred provider and drive to Main St. in Greenville. You’ll want to spend a couple hours walking the street and visiting the local shops.

Grab a beer and bite to eat at one of the many local breweries. We recommend The Community Tap.

Evening: Head to Hotel Domestique in Travelers Rest, about a 40 min drive from Greenville. You will not regret staying at this boutique hotel owned by Tour de France rider, George Hincapie. With only 13 rooms, you’ll feel like you’re in a French Chateau. With complimentary snacks and wine (yes, wine), this hotel is worth every penny.

The front desk concierge will happily make you a reservation for dinner at Restaurant 17, which is on-site! The perfect welcome to this luxurious stay.

Day 2: Biking and Enjoying Hotel Domestique

Morning: We recommend renting road bikes through Hotel Domestique ($70/day). Inspired by owner, George Hincapie, cyclists from all over come here to take advantage of the hills and bike routes. Not to mention the bikes available are top of the line. The front desk concierge will hand you a thick binder showcasing routes with varying degrees of difficulty and mileage. There’s something for everyone. This is a great way to see the area!

Afternoon: If you’re the extra active type, swim some laps in the pool at Hotel Domestique. Otherwise, put on your swimsuit and order a pool-side vegetable and hummus tray (or any snack) and enjoy the weather and scenery. A hot tub is available, but depending on COVID precautions, it may not be open. If weather is gloomy, sit in the cozy library and read a book. The best part about Hotel Domestique is that is truly feels like a home, make it yours!

Evening: Hotel Domestique has many perks, but one of them is access to a fleet of brand new BMWs. We’re not kidding. Choose one of the BMWs and take this luxury vehicle for a drive back into Greenville for dinner at The Trappe Door. Greenville has many restaurants to offer, but this one is a true experience. The Moules Frites (mussels and fries) is dinner you won’t forget.

Day 3: Hike and Explore the Smoky Mountains

Morning: Depending on your preference, there’s quite a few hiking trails near-by. Grab the free snacks and water bottles from the Hotel Domestique Pantry before heading out. As always, the front desk concierge is a helpful resource in selecting which trail you want to conquer. We opted for a quick, but tough, trail and hiked Falls Creek Falls. It is a 2.1 mile trail is challenging but rewarding since it brings you to the bottom of a beautiful water fall. AllTrails is a great a website that shows local trails and details about difficulty and duration.

Afternoon: If you picked a longer trail, you may still be hiking into the afternoon. Plant o grab a quick lunch at a location close to your hiking destination.

Evening: After rinsing off at the hotel, and maybe a poolside happy hour snack, choose another BMW to take into town for dinner. The drive is 30 minutes, but that’s part of the fun with the car. Up on the Roof is a rooftop bar and restaurant that provides great views of the town. The Honey-Soy Fried Chicken Lettuce Wraps are YUMMY.

Pack your bags, enjoy the last night of complimentary snacks and wine, and get ready to head to The Biltmore tomorrow morning.

Day 4: The Biltmore Estate Tour

Morning: The drive to Asheville is about 45 min - 1 hour and you should leave early in the morning to take full advantage of the Biltmore Estate. There’s so much to do! Even though you’re staying for just one night, you can request early check-in and drop your bags at the front desk of the Village Inn. This is where you’ll want to refer to the ‘Checklist Before You Go’ at the bottom of the page. There is SO MUCH to do at The Biltmore. We chose to go on a 4-hour Fly Fishing trip, which was absolutely incredible. You can also ride horses, shoot clays, or simply walk the grounds immense gardens and trails.

Afternoon: No matter how you choose to spend your day The Biltmore, you must, must, must take a tour of The Biltmore Estate. Adding audio is about ~$10 extra and worth it, because of the extra context and stories it provides as you’re guided through the impressive home. It is critical you book your tickets in advance! Refer to the ‘Checklist Before You Go’ for more details.

Evening: If you enjoy wine, make sure you reserve a Tasting. Tastings at the Winery are available only until 5pm, although you can grab a class until 8pm most evenings. Our favorite is the Gewürztraminer (only $19!). For dinner, we recommend taking the short drive back into Asheville to walk the Town Square and have dinner at the popular seafood restaurant, Limones. This came as a request from a local and the ceviche is next level.

Day 5: Head to Charleston

Morning: Depending on if you have any other activities you want to knock out at The Biltmore, which is likely, you’ll probably leave late morning for Charleston, SC. Without stops, expect it to take you a little under 4 hours. There are many plantations outside of Charleston, and we recommend stopping on the way into town to see one or two. Ever seen the move The Notebook? Boone Hall Plantation was one of the filming locations.

Afternoon: Our recommended hotel is the HarbourView Inn. You should arrive in time to enjoy the daily drinks and appetizers offered in the lobby.

Evening: Charleston undoubtedly has one of the best food scenes. Reservations are essential, though, to make sure your days aren’t comprised of waiting for a table. There is a place worth going that does not take reservations, called 167 Raw. Head there early and put your name on the list. They will text you when your table is ready! Walk around the shops or visit the rooftop bar at The Watch for a quick drink.

Day 6: Food, food, and more food.

Morning: You have a heavy day of food ahead. Right outside your hotel is the pier, where you can take a 3 mile walk or jog around the bend of Charleston. It’s fun to see the beautiful homes along the water. Breakfast at Poogan’s Porch is something you can’t miss, and after some morning exercise, you earned it! Make a reservation ahead of time and have a late breakfast here. The biscuits are unreal. To save a few $$, you can also take advantage of the complimentary breakfast at the hotel.

Afternoon: Post breakfast coma, take the time to head to the Charleston City Market (cute booths with different vendors) or King Street (finer shopping and storefronts). If you’re interested in history, this could also be a good time to check out Fort Sumter or some of the other historic sites around the city. When you’re ready for a bite, check out Leon’s Oyster Shop.

Evening: At 4pm, you can hop on a Tour Cruise with Charleston Harbor Tours for an educational boat ride around the bay. Sit on the front of the boat for the best views. You may be wanting a break from seafood, and 5Church offers a unique atmosphere and variety of dining. If you’re wallet is feeling light, there are plenty of less expensive options, too. such as Fleet Landing on the pier. Either way, save room for a dessert at Kaminsky’s before heading back to the hotel.

Day 7: Travel day - head home!

Morning: Your flight time will dictate what you have time for today, but if you can squeeze it in, it’s worth visiting Sullivan’s Island beach. With plenty of public parking, bring some flip flops and walk along the beach before pizza at The Obstinate Daughter.

Drop off your rental car and get to the airport about 1.5 hour before your flight. We hope you enjoyed this vacation as much as we did. Be sure to pay special attention to the Checklist Before You Go shown below.

Checklist Before You Go:

1. Book your flight to arrive in Greenville, SC (GSP) on Day 1

2. Book your flight to depart from Charleston, SC (CHS) on Day 7

3. Book your rental car to pick up from Greenville Airport (GSP) and drop off at Charleston Airport (CHS)

4. Book your rooms at Hotel Domestique for 3 nights (Day 1 - 3)

   1. If you enjoy cycling, reach out to the concierge to submit a reservation request for top of the line road bikes, fitted prior to your arrival.

   2. Also ask the concierge about a dinner reservation at Restaurant 17 the evening you arrive.

5. Book your room at The Biltmore (Village Inn) for 1 nights (Day 4)

6. Reserve your Biltmore Tour tickets for the full-day you’ll be at The Biltmore

   1. You should also consider booking an extra activity.

   2. If you’re into the outdoors, check out the Half Day Clay Shooting or Fly-fishing lessons with Orvis Outfitters

7. Book your room at the HarbourView Inn for 2 nights (Day 5 - 6)

8. Make reservations for restaurants in Charleston. They’re always packed!!!

   1. Our recommendations are shown on Day 6 and Day 7.

9. Check the weather and pack accordingly!

Other Considerations

POINTS, POINTS, POINTS!!!!! All of the hotel recommendations are available on Chase Travel using your Chase Credit Card points. We cannot stress enough how valuable a credit card with a good points system can be. In our experience, Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best credit card for points.

Cost: If you want to shorten this trip a couple days or cut down on the cost, we recommend flying into Asheville, staying at The Biltmore for 2 nights, and going straight to Charleston (i.e. skip Hotel Domestique).

Flights: You can also opt to fly roundtrip to one airport, instead of a open jaw flight schedule. This is highly dependent on the flight choices available, price variability, and your schedule. Roundtrip will require more driving, but this trip already requires a rental car so it may be better for you to book roundtrip.